The hardware in a computer system consists of monitor, CPU, keyboard, mouse, printer, sound system, RAM, hard disk etc. It takes inputs from the user and stores them and also displays the output as per the instruction given by the user.
These components are very important in a computer system. They have to be cleaned regularly so that they don’t get affected by viruses.
Motherboard
A motherboard is a main board for connecting all the components of a computer system. It connects the CPU, RAM, Hard drives, Optical drives, Video card and Sound cards. It also contains many other ports, slots and cables.
Depending on the application, the motherboard may include multiple types of connections, such as PCI, ISA and other types. It also has some important features like the CPU fan and heat sink.
The processor sockets (processor slots) on the motherboard allow for the installation of microprocessor chips. This is typically done without soldering.
The memory controllers handle the different memory slots on the motherboard and are colored to indicate which ones they manage. The motherboard may have up to 4 memory channels, each of which is managed by a different controller.
CPU
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the brain of your computer, executing instructions from software and hardware. It controls all other parts of a computer, including the monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer and sound system.
The main parts of a CPU are the CU (control unit), ALU (arithmetic logic unit) and DDR (dual-data rate memory). These units can store data, intermediate results and instructions.
A CPU’s clock speed determines its performance and efficiency in executing commands from software. A high-speed CPU can perform millions of calculations per second.
Instructions are processed by the CPU in two steps: fetching and decoding. First, the CPU fetches an instruction from its main memory. Next, it decodes it into signals that control other parts of the CPU.
RAM
RAM (random access memory) is the temporary storage of data used by your computer. When your computer needs to access this data, it uses the RAM to do so as quickly as possible.
The data in the RAM is processed much faster than it would be on a hard drive or solid state drive. This makes it ideal for storing information that you may want to access again later on.
There are two main types of RAM: SRAM and DRAM, which use different technologies to store data. The first type, SRAM, uses transistors to keep memory cells preserved as long as it receives a steady trickle of power.
The second type, DRAM, uses capacitors to hold a charge or lack of charge in each cell. It must be refreshed with an electronic charge every few milliseconds to compensate for leaks in the capacitor.
Optical Drive
An optical drive is a device that reads or writes data on disc. It can be inside a computer system and connected to the motherboard or it can be an external model that’s housed in a separate enclosure.
The lasers in optical drives read the bumps and pits of spinning plastic discs, detecting encoded information that’s been written on them. It can also write information to discs using an organic dye that embeds grooves into the surface of the disc.
Optical drives are an integral part of standalone appliances like CD players, DVD players, Blu-ray Disc players, and certain video game consoles. They’re also used in computers to read software and media distributed on disc and to record them for archival purposes.
Tower
The tower, also called the case, is the vertically arranged part of the computer that contains the motherboard, hard drive and other components. These include the optical drives and floppy drives, which are often located in the front of the case for ease of access.
A computer tower is usually a rectangular shape and can come in many different colors, shapes and sizes. It can also be customized to have a variety of features, such as lights, fans, artwork, see-through walls or internal cooling systems.
The tower is one of the most popular form factors of personal computers, due to its practicality and versatility. It allows for easy upgrades, tucks neatly under desks and provides room for multiple monitors.